1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a tape carrier for TAB.
2. Description of the Background Art
As a manufacturing method of a printed circuit board, a TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) technique is known. In this TAB technique, a plurality of mounting parts are provided at equal intervals on a long-sized tape carrier (a long-sized tape board). Wiring patterns are formed in each mounting part, and a solder resist is formed in a predetermined region of the wiring patterns. Then, electrodes of an electronic component is bonded to each of the plurality of mounting parts formed on the tape carrier. In this way, the electronic component is mounted on each of the plurality of mounting parts on the tape carrier.
Normally, the solder resists are formed in the predetermined regions of the respective wiring patterns by screen printing while the tape carrier is transported by a roll-to-roll system in a step of forming the solder resists on the tape carrier. In this case, the screen printing is performed for each block composed of the mounting parts with a predetermined number depending on a size of a printing stage.
Meanwhile, it is desired that the intervals between the plurality of mounting parts aligning at the equal intervals are minimized in order to efficiently use a material for the tape carrier.
When the intervals between the mounting parts on the tape carrier are small, however, slight shifts in printing positions of the solder resists may generate printing defects such as deficient print in the mounting parts positioned on edges of each block.
JP 2002-299390 A describes a method for positioning and fixing a film carrier tape (a tape carrier) in the printing of the solder resist in order to improve printing precision of the solder resist. In the method of JP 2002-299390 A, positioning holes are formed on both edge portions in a width direction of the film carrier tape by punching or a laser. Positioning pins of a positioning jig are inserted into the positioning holes in a step of applying the solder resist, so that the film carrier tape is positioned and fixed.
According to the method of JP 2002-299390 A, however, a step for forming the positioning holes in the film carrier tape is required before the step of applying the solder resist. In addition, a step of inserting the positioning pins of the positioning jig into the positioning holes is required between the step of forming the positioning holes and the step of applying the solder resist.
Moreover, distances between respective lateral sides of the film carrier tape and the positioning holes are required to be large so that regions between the positioning holes of the film carrier tape and the respective lateral sides thereof are not damaged when the positioning pins of the positioning jig are inserted into the positioning holes. In addition, the positioning holes are required to be formed in such size that the positioning pin can be inserted. This causes useless regions in both side portions of the film carrier tape to be large.